This is Vortex, the MACHINE ASSISTED READING SOFTWARE. It is copyrighted to Cliff High of Tenax Software Engineering, All Rights Reserved, 1994. Since the invention of the earliest alphabet there has only been one method of retrieving the text from its storage media. Our eyes are made to travel back and forth over a page of characters in order to create a stream. We then ask our brains to parse this stream into words prior to resolving the words into thoughts. Even when we invented computers and visual display devices, we simply transferred the concepts of hard copy media to a new surface whose only advantage is illumination. Reading from a standard computer display offers little improvement over reading from stone tablets. Vortex is designed to change that. Vortex represents a new way of thinking about reading in which we take advantage of what the computer can do well. That is, the computer can read the lines and present the words in the best manner for your use. Obviously, as the machine is presenting the words to you in a serial fashion, certain conventions of English grammar and punctuation will have to change to have meaning in this new context of Machine Assisted Reading. For instance, the concept of paragraphs as logical groups of thought do not work well in this new form of presentation. Also it now becomes necessary to design an end of paragraph marker which is distinct from an end of sentence marker.  In the Vortex reader, indents for paragraphs are meaningless .  We have found that bolding a word will make some impact on the reader but that the use of bolded words as a mechanism to draw the eye to specific text does not make sense. These changes must be well thought out as they will evolve into a new standard for Vortex readers.  We see this software as the stepping stone to a new class of interfaces. These interfaces will help us bail out of the information flood. Vortex can help with reading technical manuals, or textual review, or even with email. It even helps in checking code for errors, they stand out in sharp relief as your work is flashed before your eyes in a steady and rhythmic manner. The Vortex reader has the added advantage of captivating the eye and delivering a higher level of concentration with little extra effort. This will prove to be valuable in the presentation of material which might otherwise be found to be boring. It is startling to realize that humans can be as effective a serial stream processor as our machines. This program is designed to increase your reading speed from the average of 240 words a minute to the limit of speed possible for effective comprehension.  A typical increase will be to the level of 1600 words a minute or nearly 8 times faster. You are currently reading at 490 words a minute or over twice the average reading speed. Of course, as with any new skill, and just like learning to read the first time, speed and comprehension will improve with use. The primary skill which you are using at the moment is the pattern matching with which every programmer is familiar.  As your eyes begin to adjust to the blanks between the words, it will seem as though the pace is slowing down. This is when you will know that it is time to increase the speed of presentation. It may be that certain individuals will be able to achieve phenomenal reading rates.  There are numerous commercial benefits to be derived from the introduction of the Vortex Machine Assisted Reading Software.  Vortex will help children and adults learn to read. It will be placed into schools with the teaching software based on the serial presentation of  symbolic logic and the pattern matching which the human brain does naturally. It does not require that you know the alphabet first. It is a fundamental change in the nature of learning language. It can be applied to learning foreign languages.  The strobe effect of the Vortex reader can be used in the process of quality control in all aspects of information processing. The Vortex presentation while throw errors in high relief. This can be applied to areas such the medical and legal professions where clarity and accuracy of text processing is critical. Vortex will improve the nature of human interaction with information. Those economically technical areas such as medical, avionics, and scientific will benefit from the increased speed and comprehension available from the Vortex reader. Vortex represents a technological leap whose time has come. It will require a careful approach to its proper exploitation. You should consider joining us in the many exciting opportunities presented by Vortex. Vortex Technology is currently being incorporated into email and newsgroup readers as well as being adapted to other specialized text formats. Word count  =  812.